- Film And TV
- 10 Jul 23
Nothing Compares follows the story of Sinead O'Connor through her career and activism in Northern Ireland in the '80s and '90s.
A new docu-film about Irish pop singer and activist Sinéad O'Connor is set to premiere on Sky and Now later this month, having earned rave reviews during its cinema run.
Directed by Kathryn Ferguson, Nothing Compares chronicles O'Connor's rise in the pop world and her subsequent activism which put her at arms length from the mainstream.
Ferguson wanted to give equal weight to O'Connor's musical talent and activism in the film, saying in a statement, "The intention with this film is to disrupt the trope of telling iconoclastic women’s stories through the tragic heroine lens. Nothing Compares isn’t a regular music documentary, instead it’s a portrait of one unique artist, her cultural significance in Irish history and she has affected the lives of millions around the world.”
The film was produced by Eleanor Emptage, whose other works include Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist. Michael Mallie, who heads Ard Mhacha Productions.
Advertisement
Mallie also produced a 2018 feature film on the 53 women members of the Oireachtas, which premiered on the 100th anniversary of the election of Countess Constance Markievicz, the first woman in both Ireland and the world to hold a cabinet position.
The film debuted last year at the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Competition, hitting theatres last October.
It has received over 30 award nominations internationally, and has been awarded winner of both Best Feature Documentary, and Debut Director – Feature Documentary at BIFA 2022, Best Feature Documentary at the Irish Film Television Awards 2023, Best Irish Documentary at Galway Film Fleadh and winner of the Audience Award at Docs Ireland.